The 360 review cycle, simplified.

A review process people actually finish, focused on growth, with ratings that mean the same thing across every team.

Inside:Four principles for a lighter cycle · the questions for self, peer, upward, and manager feedback · a 6-week timeline · a 5-point rating scale · editable Word feedback forms

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The questions

Four directions of feedback.

Short forms, the same for everyone. Each question asks for specific examples where possible.

Direction	Who writes it	The questions
Self	The employee	What is something you are proud of contributing this year? What development area would you like to focus on next year?
Peer	1 to 2 teammates	What went well working with this teammate? What skills would you encourage this teammate to develop?
Upward	Direct reports, about their manager	Where do you see your manager excelling? How could your manager have better supported you? Any other feedback you'd like to share?
Manager	The manager, about each report	What impact did this person have this year? What skills should this person continue to develop? Any other feedback you'd like to share?

Decide visibility up front. Tell people before they write whether peer and upward feedback will be shared word for word, summarized by the manager, or kept anonymous. Changing it afterward breaks trust.

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The timeline

Six weeks, start to finish.

A predictable rhythm. Publish the dates before week one so nobody is surprised.

Week 1

Set up

Monday to Wednesday: choose peers and send requests. Thursday: the feedback tool opens for 2.5 weeks.

Weeks 2 and 3

Write

Everyone writes self, peer, and upward feedback. Send reminders midway through.

Weeks 4 and 5

Assess and calibrate

Managers write their assessments and draft ratings, then leaders calibrate together.

Week 6

Deliver

Managers finalize and deliver feedback in a live conversation, never just a shared document.

Calibration: the step that makes ratings fair

Leaders review draft ratings side by side to make sure a "4" on one team means the same as a "4" on another. Bring evidence, not adjectives. Adjust before anyone sees their rating.

Week 5Evidence-basedBefore delivery

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Full guide

7 more pages in the full guide

Plus the editable Word template.